Chicago Bulls: What to Realistically Expect for Derrick Rose and Co. Next Season

After the incredible season Bulls fans were treated to this season, expectations are through the roof for next season, and not without reason. The Bulls finished with the best record in the league, the MVP, made it to the Eastern Conference Finals and had chances to make it to the finals. 

That being said, rivals like the Miami Heat aren't going anywhere. The New York Knicks could always get better. The Oklahoma City Thunder are getting better.

You have to think about Bulls expectations in terms of that. While the Bulls should be favored as one of the three best teams in the NBA next year, the path will not be easy. 

To make things easier to forecast, we'll look at the team as presently constructed, without any moves being made in the offseason which we know will not actually be the case. The Bulls have high potential to come back better than they were this year.

The big question is: Are the Bulls for real?

They are a team who came out of nowhere to win 62 games this year and finish with the best record in the league. Most of these games were won on the shoulders of Derrick Rose, the youngest MVP in league history. They ended the season on a 12-game winning streak against teams who went on to win 50 wins or more. 

Can the Bulls do so well against the best in the league again?

I would not count on it. Even when teams are considered the best in the league, it's unlikely that they are able to step up every single time. You should expect perhaps two to three more losses in that span.

Rose was remarkable this season. Say all you want about inefficient scoring or whatever criticisms John Hollinger had, but Rose showed up and performed when it mattered almost every time this season.

There are at least 10 games this year that Rose came out and won by himself, an incredible feat that no one would blame him for not accomplishing next year. He'll still win many games, but his incredible rate may fall off. 

While Carlos Boozer and Joakim Noah missed a combined 57 games, they could be replaced to some extent with Kurt Thomas, Taj Gibson and Omer Asik. The drop-off between Rose, Luol Deng and their backups is far greater, however, and Rose and Deng both missed merely one game combined.

If Deng or Rose miss some games next year, it could absolutely hurt the Bulls, and that needs to be accounted for. 

In the end, the Bulls are one of the top teams in the league, easily top three. While there are signs they may fall off a little bit, there are also many things that could go right as well. The Bulls, at times, struggled against some of the weaker teams in the league, and a Eastern Conference Finals run should give them a renewed sense of confidence, which they should have from the get go.

If the Bulls can take care of business against the weak teams, they can produce another 60-win season next year.